The traffic to the center was sparse, so they made good time when Gary's driver had just arrived at the Pokèmon center, just as the sun was half way set on the horizon. Gary left the car and headed up the stairs to the Pokèmon Center to heal his team. Entering he saw that the inside looked like the lobby of a typical hospital, pretty clean. He walked towards the nurse, who was behind the desk. She wore a pink uniform for a Pokemon nurse, she had pink hair, and a smile that could light up the room.

"Hello, there, and welcome to the Viridian Pokemon Center. I am Nurse Joy," she greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Could you heal my Pokèmon? We just got through having a good training session," Gary said.

"That won't be a problem," Nurse Joy responded, while turning to the back room and called out.. "Oh, Chansey! Can you bring the tray in here for the Poke balls!"

"Chansey!" A pink, egg-shaped, Pokèmon called Chansey, walked out from the door, located behind the desk, holding a tray for Gary's Pokè balls to be placed onto, in which he obliged.

"Your pokèmon will be taken care of, so please take a seat, as it will take a while," Nurse Joy spoke in a gentle tone, as Chansey left for the back room with the tray and balls.

Gary nodded, sat on one of the semi circle shaped couches, until his eyes landed on a colorful poster on the wall, near the public restrooms where. Curiously, he walked over to it, and blinked at what was on it. On the wall was a poster that said:

POKEMON LEAGUE Regional Championships! ENTER THE COMPETITION!

"So, the Regional League has begun promoting the event, huh? This is great! If I'm not mistaken, I would need to win 8 badges to compete. And I bet this city has a gym I can challenge," Gary said aloud, while smirking at the poster.

"I see you're interested in taking part in the Pokemon League. Well, if you're going to be competing for gym badges, may I recommend you start off with the Pewter Gym, in Pewter City? It's just north from here, passed the Viridian Forest," Nurse Joy said, from the counter.

"Huh? Why go there first? Doesn't this city have a gym?" Gary asked, turning to look at the nurse.

"We do, but unfortunately, the gym here is currently closed. The Gym Leader is away on business, in another town. So, he won't be back for quite awhile. And who knows how long that will be," Nurse Joy said, while shrugging a bit, looking apologetic.

"Oh shoot," Gary frowned, at first put off by this, then smiled. "Ok then. Pewter City it is, then! I'll head there first, to win my first badge!"

He then went over to a nearby computer, turned it on, and started searching for info on Pewter City and its gym. Finding what he was looking for, his eyes followed the text on what type of Pokemon the gym specialized in. Smirking at learning that rock was the gym's specialty, he mentally began planning out which mons he had on hand that would be useful for the gym.

Turning the computer off, he went back to sit on the couch, as the sun had completely set out of sight, and the light was slowly fading away. Sitting there, for a while, he mentally prepared which of his Pokemon would face the rock type gym. Already believing Squirtle, Nidoran, and Mankey would be his best choices. Though the info he had read didn't say how many Pokemon were to be used on either side. Shrugs at that, and decides he'll wait till he gets there.

A little while later, he is at the front desk, retrieving his Pokèmon from Chansey.

"Your Pokemon have been healed. Thank you for your patience." "Chansey!" Nurse Joy and Chansey said.

Gary took his Poke balls, and attached them to his belt, under his sweater. Before he could thank the two, the glass doors to the center opened suddenly revealing Officer Jenny, sliding across the floor of the center, and coming to a stop at the front desk. Gary had jumped back in fright, and not to get hit. He then blinks at seeing who was in the sidecar. It was Ash!?

"We have a driveway, you know!" Nurse Joy said, in an annoyed fashion along with a pink egg shaped Pokemon called Chansey.

"Chansey!"

"It's a Pokemon emergency!" Officer Jenny responded immediately.

"Please help my Pokemon!" Ash pleaded, showing the unconscious Pikachu in his arms.

"What, Ash?" Gary notices the injured Pikachu in Ash's arms. Something that caused Gary to react harshly without thought. "You're a terrible trainer! How could you let this Pikachu get hurt this much!?" he shouted in anger. If he was any angrier, Gary could have exploded.

Ash looked in surprise to see Gary there, and looking at him in anger. Before he could explain himself, they both turned to the sound of someone clearing their throat.

It was Nurse Joy. She held out her arms for Pikachu, looking stern at first, but her looks softened at seeing Ash's fear and concern for his Pokemon. She then had Pikachu placed in her arms, by the young trainer. When she spoke, her voice was sweet and reassuring. "Don't worry, young man. You just leave everything to me. I assure you, I will do all that I can to help Pikachu." Nurse Joy turns and retreats into the emergency room.

"There are rumors of suspicious people in the area, if anything happens come find me" Officer Jenny says leaving the boys alone in the lobby.

Gary had calmed down, and looked to Ash. "So, Ash. How is your journey going, because I caught a great team of Pokèmon" He asked trying to catch up with him, and hanging around to see if Pikachu will make it.

"It's going bad," Ash responded. Not knowing what compelled him to admit it, to his rival, but not having the strength to get riled up at him.

"Ash, what happened?" asks the Oak boy. Feeling concerned for Ash and his electric mouse, they both sat down, and he listens to what Ash had to say.

"When you left, I went into the lab to get my first Pokemon. Professor Oak said the three starter Pokèmon were already taken. All but one. I ended up with Pikachu. Pikachu didn't like me much at first. Pikachu saved me from a massive flock of Spearow.."

It really tugged at Gary's heartstrings, he places a hand on Ash's shoulder "Ash, Pikachu will be alright. Trust Nurse Joy to do her best."

Feeling some relief washing over him, Ash breathed out, and nodded. He then said he should call his mom, before standing up, and heading over to one of the phones.

Gary watched him go, while he made his way out of the center, and back to his driver. Having already decided that he would start this journey on foot, he told his driver to take his cheerleaders, and wait for him in Pewter City. That he will be going on foot through the forest, and will catch some Pokemon along the way. The driver acknowledged this, and wished Gary good luck. The cheerleaders cried as they left, leaving their Gary behind. After waving them off, he went back into the center.

Still not understanding why he bothered to comfort the dead last from Pallet Town, Ash, he puts that out of his mind, when he caught sight of Ash talking to his grandpa, Prof. Oak. He came over and joined in the call. He and the older Oak, were not impressed when Ash nervously informed them that he didn't catch a single Pokemon before getting to Viridian City, nor did they believe that Ash saw a Pokemon that looked like one of the legendary flying mons. When the call ended, both boys turned to the sound of the sliding doors opening, at this time of night.

Storming into the Pokèmon center was a ginger haired girl with a temper "I knew I'd find you here, you little loser! You ruined my bike and you're going to pay for it!"

Gary looked to Ash "A friend of yours?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow. Ash tried to keep himself quiet, slightly hiding behind Gary. "Look here, his Pikachu isn't doing so well right now. So lay off him."

'Huh? Why did I just defend that loser?' he thought to himself.

"Gary…?" Ash looked at his rival in both awe and confusion, at coming to his defense.

Misty clammed up, at hearing the condition of the boy's Pikachu. "Is it very serious?" she asked in concern.

She then looked at the other boy who had spoken and defended the bike thief, gave a nod to her question, and not saying anything else. All 3 looked at the emergency room. The light was still glowing red, until a ding sound was heard, and all three turned to see the light was now off. The doors opened, and out came Nurse Joy and 3 Chansey, rolling Pikachu out on a stretcher. It was hooked up to a head band that seemed to be powering a light bulb, connected to some cables, monitoring the electricity output a sleeping Pikachu was giving. The 3 kids ran over to them, meeting at the front desk.

"Pikachu, are you alright, buddy?" Ash asked, looking relieved that Pikachu was alive and out of danger.

"Your Pikachu is resting, it's a good thing you got it here so fast. The procedure went well, and it should be fine." Nurse Joy informs them. The three Chansey left Nurse Joy to talk to the trainers.

"Thanks to the Pokemon Center," said the red headed girl, relieved.

"Yes, thank you very much." Ash thanks the Nurse.

"See, Ashy-boy. Didn't I tell ya to trust Nurse Joy?" Gary said, looking at the relieved boy.

Before Ash could say anything in return, the alarm suddenly went off, and two Pokè balls were thrown through the skylight of the center's ceiling. Letting out two poison type Pokèmon Ekans and Koffing.

Koffing fills the room up with a smokescreen, which mere seconds afterwards, 2 people, a red haired woman, and a purple haired man dressed in white, with a bright red R place on the shirt and a Meowth showed up.

"Prepare for trouble!" the woman spoke.

"And make it double!" the man following the woman's lead.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

And the Pokemon Meowth ends this motto with, "Meowth! That's right!"

"What do you want?" Gary asked frankly he wasn't in the mood

"We want the rare and valuable Pokèmon here, so say goodbye to the electrical system!" Jessie shouts, destroying the system causing a black out within the pokèmon center.

Gary grabbed two Pokè balls as the trio of Misty, Ash, and Nurse Joy retreated into a storage room with Pikachu. Thankfully, the back up generators had come on, thanks to the use of a group of Pikachu using their Pika power to turn the lights back on. Although Gary couldn't see it, Nurse Joy was trying to transfer mons to the Pewter city Pokèmon center.

Gary sent out his Squirtle and male Nidoran "You aren't going to take any of these Pokèmon!"

Squirtle and Nidoran vs Ekans and Koffing

The tiny turtle Pokèmon stood its ground ready to fight.

"Squirtle use bubble!" Gary called out.

Squirtle sprayed bubbles from its open mouth hitting Koffing's eyes, causing the crater covered Pokèmon to float around aimlessly.

"Koffing follow the sound of my voice!" James called out in a shock.

"Ekans use bite on that Nidoran!" Jessie ordered.

Ekans struck like a bolt of lightning, biting Nidoran who took the attack like a champ.

"Good job! Now hit it with a horn attack!" Gary called out, confidently.

In a bid to hit hard, Nidoran, showing its fierceness in battle, ran horn first into the purple snake. Knocking it back, several feet.

"Koffing, use your sludge on that twerp's Squirtle!" James yells.

"Koffing!" Sludge erupts from Koffing's mouth, shooting out at the Squirtle.

"I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that move!" Meowth cackled, watching Squirtle doing its best to avoid the attack.

"Use Tackle, Squirtle!" Squirtle leapt into action, throwing his body at Koffing with a hard thud.

This caused the poison type to hit a wall behind it pretty hard "K-Koffing…" the pokèmon groaned loudly before being recalled into its Pokè ball.

"It's all up to you Jessie," James spoke, gritting his teeth in anger and defeat.

Jessie groaned. "How could you lose? He's not even that good!"

Gary, smirking at the two, thought to himself that he was actually just that good. "You and your Ekans are going to lose next, lady. Maybe I should make it easier on you and return both my Pokèmon, and send out one. Just to make it even," he mockingly said, watching Jessie's face turning a red shade of red in anger. Gary then returns both his Pokèmon to their balls. After thanking them for their hard work, he then sends out Rattata in their place. Who looked ready to battle, despite its opponent being a natural enemy to its species.

This move agitates Jessie to no end. "Listen here, brat! We are Team Rocket! And we will take all the Pokèmon in this place!"

Ekans hissed, agreeing with its trainer, Rattata got low to the ground showing its sharp buck teeth.

"Rattata hit the Ekans with a quick attack!" Gary shouted, already having a plan worked out, on how to win. The purple rat Pokèmon was gone like it left afterimages before smacking into Ekans with astounding speed. Causing the snake Pokèmon to feel woozy. "Nice, Rattata! Don't let up!"

Ekans straightens out and launches a spray of poison stings at the speedy normal type. They landed, poisoning the little purple rat. Rattata squeaked at being poisoned, but smirked devilishly up at Ekans. And its trainer, Gary, was mimicking the same smirking look.

'Yes! Its ability, Guts, has activated! Now, its attacks are stronger. Better hurry and end this, before the poison do us in,' he thought. "You're in for it now. Rattata has just become more dangerous," Gary points to Ekans with a confident smile. "One final quick attack!"

Rattata nods, its eyes staring into Ekans, the mouse Pokèmon disappeared in a burst of speed, and reappeared knocking out Ekans with an even stronger Quick Attack!

Winner: Gary Oak

With Ekans knocked out, Jessie furiously returned it to its Poke ball, while Gary and his Rattata smirked in triumph. Before anything else could be done, a loud buzzing sound infested the room. Gary and Team Rocket follow the sound to see Ash pedaling the burnt bike from earlier, powering up his Pikachu, who looked ready to release a powerful electric attack.

"Gary get out of the way!" Ash shouts!

This prompted Gary to dive out of the way, as a powerful Thunder Shock ignites the lingering gas that Koffing had spewed out earlier. Causing a spectacular explosion, destroying most of the Pokèmon center.

"We won't forget this! Our boss will definitely want that boy's Pokemon and that other one's Pikachu!" Team Rocket said, while riding in their Meowth hot-air balloon, while in mid flight, debris punctures their balloon…. Causing it to explode.

"Team Rocket is blasting off!" Team Rocket disappeared.

Some time later, still dark, Gary had bid Ash, Misty, and Nurse Joy farewell, as he would go on ahead and camp out in the forest. He declined to stay the night at the half destroyed center, and told Ash, the next time he sees him, that he better have more Pokemon on him, other than Pikachu. And with his usual farewell, "See ya later, Ashy-boy!" Gary left the pokemon center to venture into Viridian Forest!

End of episode 2

Author notes Gary whooped team Rocket really good, they arent happy with their loss! Thanks to https/u/1012133/blackshinobi for this awesome collaboration between us!